Cosmetic compositions for care of the skin were hitherto generally formulated in the form of a cream or milk containing oil as a lubricant ingredient, the presence of oil avoiding drying of the skin and imparting softness to the latter. However, these oil-based formulations have a greasy feel and are often tacky, which is unpleasant for the user and annoying to the latter.
To avoid these drawbacks, the proposal has been made to prepare cosmetic compositions in the form of an aqueous gel containing neither fat nor oil. However, to be of use in cosmetics, the gels must display the same qualities of hydration of the skin as the oil- or fat-based compositions used hitherto, and furthermore, on the one hand, they must have a silky and non-tacky feel and, on the other hand, they must be able to be taken out and spread easily. Moreover, the gels must be stable and compatible with the different additives generally used in cosmetic compositions, especially those which are electrolytes. Lastly, they must be transparent in order to have an attractive presentation.
A hydrating aqueous gel not containing oil, prepared using a poly(glyceryl methacrylate) as gelling agent and containing a polyol such as glycerol and polyethylene glycol, has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,725. However, this gel does not display all the desired cosmetic qualities; in particular, it does not have the desired silky feel.